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Buenos Aires: 01. – 20.02.2010 Many things we wanted to do in our last week in Buenos Aires. Besides the excitement was huge, because on Friday, the third of our bunch was supposed to join us again. But it all came different.
In the meantime we moved out
of our windowless Hostel room into an apartment, where we finally
wanted windows. This wish was granted, however the window was into a
tiny courtyard of a seven story building, so we, in the third floor,
didn’t get any sunlight at all anymore. Throughout the whole day we had
to keep on the lights. And since the weather changed to permanent rain,
it was kind of depressive to be there. Nevertheless we used every
chance to out into the fresh air, even if we got socked now and then.
But it shouldn’t be for too long, so we thought at least until Thursday.
Already on Monday we visited
the shipping company. That was in vain, because we were told that they
could not do anything before the ship left its last port, Santos,
Brasil that was, and that would not be before Thursday. But we got told
that we could do it all by ourselves and got an order of events. Which
we of course studied thoroughly, it didn’t look all too hard and it
might be done in a day.
The days we spent whenever
possible outside and despite of the big city we even found a green spot
here and there. But really happy we have not been, because there always
was the noise and smell from traffic and the city. We also did not
really get used to be in a metropolitan city as Buenos Aires is and
having so many so poor people as well as children around begging and
not just for money but also for food.
On Friday morning we woke up
in cheerful expectation to finally start the procedure to get Nisto
out. But already during breakfast we got the mail that let our mood
sink to rocky bottoms. The ship that was supposed to take on Nisto
canceled its stop in Buenos Aires and he had to wait for the next ship
coming in a week.
After all these knock downs,
we still had one thing we could celebrate; our first wedding
anniversary. It is already one year ago since we gave each other the
wedding vow on the Rigi. That shows again how quick time goes. Sonja
has won in the lottery at school, an excursion on a Catamaran on the
Tigre-Delta, close to Buenos Aires. This trip we wanted to take on our
anniversary, and go for a good meal in the evening. Unfortunately the
rain was just pouring, so we moved the excursion for a day, but in the
evening we spoiled us with a real treat.
Much we have heard about the
Tigre-Delta. But we go disappointed. But we think that is more because
of the organization, we had the impression to be on a coffee sales
tour. Out on the boat we have been for whole 20 minutes, then it took a
U-turn and went the same way back! But we did enjoy getting out of the
town for once.
We didn’t want to spend
another week in our basement apartment on the third floor, so we went
on to look for something else. And we found something just around the
corner, 10th floor, great view and even a bit cheaper. It was a bit
older, but no, there was no real downside to it. We enjoyed some rainy
days just looking out on the River Platte from our window. We even
found our quiet green space in Buenos Aires, the Reserva Ecologica
Costanera Sur.
Finally the Friday that we
have been longing for came, we even saw how ‘our’ Containership
approached. But also on that day we got informed that there was a small
problem with our Bill of Lading (THE paper to get your vehicle/cargo
back), but it should not make too big of a difference and it would
quite easily be solved, so the word of the employee of the shipping
company. On Monday we have been on time at her office, were we got the
news; according to our Bill of Lading from Panama the shipment was
FCLLCL, but what was electronically transmitted to Buenos Aires was
FCLFCL. Basically no problem, it just takes ‘a bit’ more effort to
clear the cargo and it just is ‘a bit’ more expensive. Oh, and how
much? She didn’t really want to come forward with a number, but what
she finally said was almost double the price. We almost fell backwards;
of course we didn’t want to pay that kind of money, since it definitely
was not our mistake. But before anybody would move a finger the money
had to flow. Great, we first wanted to talk to the agency in Panama to
see where the mistake happened, so we left with the procedure to be
followed, the account information where we had to pay the money to and
a bad feeling in the gut. To make things worse, just from that Monday
on, Panama was celebrating Carnival, and the office would be closed for
half of the week. So we paid with the expectation of getting an
appointment to start with the now longer procedure the next day, also
because after 5 days of the arrival of the container there would be
additional storage fees from the port. Well with the appointment,
nothing happened, because it takes normally 48 hours to get one, but
for us it would only be 24 hours! Meaning it was on Wednesday morning
at 9am. Another day of just waiting, well not just, we only had the
apartment until Tuesday so it meant we had to move again. This time
into a Hostel again, since we hoped it would be just for two nights.
At 6:30am the alarm went off,
just not getting late was the motto, we had to take three obstacles
that day to drive out with Nisto. Just at 9am we found the right office
and the person we had the appointment with was called and supposed to
just arrive, so the waiting begun. About half an hour later somebody
came out of the Hamburg Sud office and asked us if we had the customs
documents? The answer was monosyllabic; Nope! We were told that it is
first needed to open the container, before it is possible to do go to
customs. Here we were told without customs it is not possible to open
the container. Hmm, well he was going to check, and wasn’t seen till
half an hour later to just tell us that he is going to ask customs what
the situation is. We just continued to wait for two more hours. Until
he came to inform us that Olivos (that is where the main Hamburg Sud
office is) is just at that very moment is about to decide what would
be happening. And he, Ignacio was his name, will inform us as soon as
he knows. Another hour passed. He came with the information that it
still was not decided, and gave us some more explanations what it was
that Olivos is talking about and the costs and so on. On the word cost,
Markus got superstitious, we paid enough and will not pay anything
more, we explained Ignacio the FCL LCL (On a FCL, Full Container Load,
freight the container is normally carried out of the harbor on a Truck
to unload. Where on LCL, Less than full Container Load, the container
is unloaded in the port area and the cargo is taken out individually.
We of course did not want to pay for a Truck to drive Nisto out inside
the Box) situation that he didn’t know until then and firmly told him
that we are about to lose our patience. Since we already got the
feeling that the; Dive-out-of-the-port-with-Nisto, is not going to
happen today. So another hour passed until Ignacio came with the phone,
and Markus talked with Olivos himself, this time with an experienced
Agent who explained the situation and the possibilities. To either
unload an FCL freight in the harbor area, which needs an, from customs
approved, agent to check the container first, more costs on the agent.
Or to truck the container out and unload it somewhere else, more costs
on the truck. Just changing the letter was not possible anymore since
the freight has arrived already we were told. And he will get back to
us as soon as he knows the costs of each possibility. It could take
another hour or so.
At about three o clock the
releasing call came that the authorized agent would ‘only’ cost AR$
200,00 (~US$65,00). And he could be organized for the next morning;
here Ignacio pulled all of his strings and came about half an hour
later that the agent would be there at 16:30 that day. It was 17:47
when Markus opened the container with two harbor worker who quickly
checked that there is only Nisto in the Box and nothing else. It was
only later that we’ve seen a relative from the authorized person to
collect the money. Finally Ignacio organized us one of his colleagues
to bring us past the dangerous neighborhood that surrounds the port to
a bus stop.
On the next day, while Sonja
packed up in the Hostel, Markus organized the temporary permit for
Nisto at the Emba. And together we went back to the port for the final
paperwork, on which Ignacio helped us again with all of it. At 14:37
Sonja stood together with Ignacio at the main entrance where Markus
pulled up with Nisto, the great union finally completed we thanked
Ignacio for the great help, without him it would have taken even
longer. Thank you.
Our way brought us straight to
the Hostel where we quickly grabbed our gear to leave town westwards.
We are going to return to Buenos Aires once more, but more on that in
the next story.
Relieved regards from the finally complete
N-Team
Here it goes to the pictures... |
